


Graveyard Shift

by MyrrhHymns (TimoMeneses)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Former roommates, M/M, Nico POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 03:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6498997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimoMeneses/pseuds/MyrrhHymns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The only thing Will Solace disliked about working in the hospital was the unholy hours he has to work. Once he's done with the graveyard shift, he goes to the only person he knows is awake at that ungodly hour: his former roommate Nico di Angelo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Graveyard Shift

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in my [Tumblr](http://somersaultturn.tumblr.com/)

It is 4 AM when Nico heard the knocking pattern on his door for the first time in months, which is odd in more than one way. Nico didn’t move, though, deciding it was only imagination and wishful thinking (he was way past the denial phase by then). The knocking grew impatient, but never actually banging. Sighing, Nico stood up, he was talking before even reaching the door, knowing Mr Don’t-listen-to-music-too-loud-it-might-damage-your-ears could hear him perfectly.

“You don’t get to use the “I forgot the key again” Solace, you don’t even live here anymore!” And he opened the door. If Nico had any trace of annoyance (he didn’t), it disappeared when he saw Will. The guy’s blond hair had no shine, the tan of his skin nearly gone, dark circles under his eyes, shoulder slumped and he was dragging more than carrying an duffle bag. To be honest, he looked like crap. Will gave him a weak smile and whispered, “I knew you’d be awake.” And just like that he stumbled forward, falling over Nico.

“Will! Will! Oh my god you came to my house only to pass out on top of me?” There was no response but a soft snore. Nico cursed while dragging Will to his room. He wasn’t delicate at all while throwing the blonde on his guest bed. Knowing how Will was, Nico also removed his shoes.

Had something happened to Will? He looked like a giant leech had sucked his blood dry. Well, the leech was called Medical School, Nico knew it was tough, but looking at the bones of Will’s face way too visible made his stomach drop in worry for the guy. (His stomach also had a few butterflies when he realised Will looked beautiful even when he seemed like he had been sucked dry by a vampire). He looked over the clock on the nightstand, ten past four. He was already getting ready to sleep before Will’s arrival, he might as well just sleep now.

.~*~.

Nico wakes up to the smell of bacon. It was way too early to be up, but the temptation of bacon was enough to push him out of bed. Grumpily, dragging his feet and eyes barely opened, like any other morning, Nico walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Will was glowing. Actually glowing like there was a lamp behind him. Too bright, too early. Nico just huffed an answer. “Here’s your coffee. Dark and bitter, like looking into a mirror.” His next huff was a thankful huff (it had a slightly inclination of his eyebrows). Will also set a plate with bacon and scrambled eggs like the walking cliché he is. “Don’t add more salt, Di Angelo, and you better exercise this fat off later.” Will managed to talk so many words so early and it was both fascinating and annoying. “I know it’s too early for you, but I gotta go now.” He came dangerously close to Nico, never touching but the Italian could feel the heat emanating from the man’s skin. “So, thank you, Nico. For everything.”

Nico just stood still, not quite understanding what was happening that moment, and as fast as Will had approached, he pulled away.

“Bye bye Nico! I’m really late so I’ll find out how to pay you back later!” And just like that Will was gone.

Only after Nico drank his coffee he realised what what’s going on. His former college roommate just slept on his flat and made him breakfast and went to work like he had never left. What the heck. Most importantly though, what did he mean by “pay Nico back?”

.~*~.~*~.

In Nico’s defence, he knows Will really well. They were roommates though all his college years and the blonde only moved away because his new apartment was closer to the hospital he was currently working. Solace is a literal son of the Sun itself, all golden and tan and freckles. The guy actually used to rise with the sun to make a healthy breakfast for the both of them. And his resting face was a astonishing smile that made everyone fall in love with him in a heartbeat. Including Nico himself, once he was able to stop pining over Jackson. But Nico solely denied his feelings for the sake of good companionship, since they had to be flat mates. Until Will left the flat to live in a small crappy place shared by two other people. Nico tried not to take this personally, and he succeeded most of the time. But anyway, Nico knew Will Solace very well, and while (over)thinking about Will’s “payback”, he came up with some scenarios he believed to be very reasonable. Like Will taking him to the beach for a day of fun, camping or another outdoors torture. He was being really reasonable.  
  
That’s why it was such a shock to see Will on his doorstep, a sack full of junk food and some DVDs.  
  
“What’s this, Solace?”  
  
“It’s my day off, finally. So, payback time! I got some toxic eatables and some movies I thought you’d like.” Will was so proud of himself for thinking of a perfectly fitting gift for him it was showing on his face. But Will always wore his heart on his sleeves, so that’s not much of a surprise.  
  
“Come on in. If you get too scared we can change it to an animation with singing for you.”  
  
It turns out Doritos and gore were perfect to settle the debt. Even if it was just one movie because Will was too terrified to watch the sequel. So they watched a random sitcom rerun while talking about everything and nothing. It was just like Will had never left. Even his disgusting habit of eating kale chips (they are not horrible, but it’s always fun to see Will defending them so strongly) during the movies. Nico ends up laughing so hard he breaks to the point where his laugh is just soundless contractions of his chest. And it hurts, but he’s having so much fun his pain is funny as well. Will tends to have this effect on him. At the peak of their fun, Will breaks it with a sour expression.  
  
“I should get going, it’s late, and I-” Nico interrupts him before that mouth say any more stupid stuff.  
  
“Nonsense. You know you have a bed in here. You don’t have to go, I haven’t laugh this much in ages!” And after hours of effort, Will’s stress wrinkles were finally softened, it hurts Nico to see them deepening again. Noticing the distress on the other man’s face didn’t fade, Nico pressed further. “The payback isn’t over, Solace. Sit back here and we’re gonna enjoy bad television until the sunrise!” He really tried to play dirty, but his words had no heat. He would never be able to be harmful towards Will and that thought made his stomach flutter. Bad timing, especially with the blonde smiling at him so fondly.  
  
“I’ll stay. But I promise no sunrise!” And that he already expected. Will usually sleeps before midnight. They still had couple hours before Will gets too sleepy to function, and Nico is determined to get the most out of it.  
  
Because he misses his friend. And also because he still had a lowkey crush on the blonde, but mainly because they’re friends.  


.~*~.~*~.

 

Everything is so hard because everything is so easy, and that’s why Nico’s screwed. Will does make fun of Nico but never making him feel uncomfortable. Will is constantly trying to make Nico’s habit a little more healthy but never overstepping. Will accepts the most ridiculous parts of Nico, like his decision to deny the existence of the word “brunch” because he’s an old person on a young skin. Everything falls so easily in place between him and Will that it makes Nico overly self conscious. He can’t even say this whole blissful ordeal is one sided because Nico himself realises the influence he has on Will, like when the blonde is being too easy going Nico helps him to put more effort on his studies… But he just can’t help to feel the flutter on his stomach whenever Will refrains himself from hugging Nico, because Will is a clingy sap but knows the Italian is that fond of touching other people. So whenever Will is about to touch him but suddenly stops and just smiles, that sunlike genuine smile that makes him shine like a lamp Nico just wants to hug him. Even more screwed that wanting to hug a guy that doesn’t hug him because Nico doesn’t like hugs is that Will has little gap between the front two teeth and Nico just wants to kiss it.

All of this seems to culminate in the moment Will slept after their movie marathon. He sleeps really early every day, by ten pm he is already yawning. This time, though, he just drifted off watching a movie and now he is just hunching over Nico and the touch of skin just tingles. Their arms just brushed agains each other and Will’s skin was just so hot Nico wondered if hugging him was like being covered by a warm blanket. And the blonde always seemed so peaceful sleeping, and the mouth slightly opened, and he drooled. Drooling shouldn’t be so cute. Also, Nico wasn’t a creeper who watched people sleeping. He just happened to stumble upon a sleeping Will a couple of times. What did Nico do to deserve the sweet torture of Will hunching over him in his sleep, he might never know. He wouldn’t be able to sleep like this, it was too early, barely midnight, and having Will so close to him, heat emanating from his skin. But the same heat set fire to his insides soothed him. Against all his walls of self defence, Nico indulged himself and let the warmth lull him.

.~*~.

“Nico, you gotta let me go.” The sweet voice was determined to drag him out of his slumber. All he wanted to do was sleep some more and hugged the warm pillow tighter.

“Shut up, Solace. It’s too early.”

“Nico, I gotta get back to my apartment before my shift begins.”

Only then Nico realised that the warm pillow was actually Will Solace himself and he was full on cuddling with the guy and he couldn’t stop the flush creeping on his cheeks. He also couldn’t let go of the blonde because no matter who much he was freaking out about the whole situation, he was actually enjoying having his arms slung around Will’s chest like it belonged there. Until, of course, he realised how inappropriate it was non consensual cuddle between former roommates. Then he was throwing himself away like the blonde was hot like fire (which he was, but in a completely different meaning).

“If I knew cuddles were on the table I’d never move out after graduation.” So smug.

“Oh my gods I’m so so sorry Will.” Nico could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to-”

“Nico! Calm dawn. It’s okay. You did nothing wrong, you did nothing I didn’t want to.” The blonde smug smile was somehow soothing, maybe because Will wasn’t freaking out like Nico, it seemed like everything was going to be fine. Even if Nico couldn’t look the other man in the eyes ever again. Will raised the Italian’s face, holding both his cheeks. “We are fine, Nico. Don’t worry.”

Will’s hands were always warm they tingle in contact with Nico’s skin. This time, however, Nico’s face was so flushed he could only feel the pressure of the blonde’s hands on him. He finally looked into the sky blue eyes and there was nothing but kindness and warmth there. All Nico could answer was a mumbled “okay” and Will glowed again, like he always did when he smiled.

“Alright Death Boy, you want bacon again, right?” The blonde asked walking towards the kitchen. “You know these things will clog your arteries right? Come on, you can help me with the scrambled eggs!”

“I’m coming!” Nico answered without moving a muscle. He had to slow his heart rate before following him into the kitchen.

  
.~*~.  


They had an uneventful breakfast, just like the other day.  


.~*~.  


Nico hugged Will before he left. He blushed thought the whole day. The familiar skeleton butterflies were back.

 

.~*~.~*~.

 

It happened again a week later. This time was a both better and worse than last time. It was worse because Will showed up looking like death at eight in the morning, and better because he didn’t collapsed on Nico at sight. At the doorstep, the blonde just smiled at him and said “You didn’t sleep yet, did you?”

“It’s none of your business, Solace, but I had a major breakthrough for my paper last night and I couldn’t afford sleeping and losing it.”

“Fine, let’s just sleep.”

Nico simply turned around heading to his room and letting the blonde follow him inside. And the Italian let himself collapse in bed without a second glance. He didn’t mean to be rude towards Will, and it wasn’t like he was a visit or anything. Nico was just genuinely tired and just wanted his bed. Of course that’s what the Blonde took as a cue to enter Nico’s room.

“Not a chance, Di Angelo. You haven’t brushed your teeth yet.”

Nico groaned painfully against his pillow. “No! There’s no need to! I’m tired, Solace, just let me sleep!”

“There is a need to! That’s how you get cavities! Get your ass out of bed and go brush your teeth!” Will wouldn’t let him go without having his way, so Nico just indulged. He even flossed to shut him up. At least he didn’t do anything stupid like kissing him just to shut him up. Or asking him to cuddle again.

“What’s wrong, Nico?”

“What?”

“Something happened? Did I do something?” Will’s face was filled with worry.

“Why… Nothing’s wrong, Will. Why are you even asking that?” Will didn’t answer that, but his furrows got deeper, making Nico worry even more.

.~*~.

They went to their beds in silence, Nico’s heart heavy with the feeling he did something wrong. An hour went by and Nico was restlessly shifting in bed. He was almost giving up on sleep when he heard Will's voice though the door.

“Nico, are you awake?” The Italian didn’t know how to respond, and the weirdest part is that Will didn’t knock. He always knocks the door. “I’m sorry okay? I made it weird between us again. I thought moving out would make everything better between us but I screw it up again.” Nico got on his feet and opened the door without even thinking. And seeing the blonde’s face so vulnerable made him act without thinking again. He wrapped his arms around Will and squeezed him tight.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, moron.” Nico wasn’t the only one taken aback by the fondness in his voice, he felt Will tensing and relaxing inside his embrace before hugging the Italian back.

“I’m afraid I’ll ruin our friendship. But it’s so easy being with you, being us.”

“I missed you so much, Will. You have no idea.”

“I’m here, Nico.” They hugged until Nico dozed off on Will’s arms, but when the blonde gestured to move away Nico held him tighter.

“I don’t wanna let you go.” Will let go of Nico to hold his face with both hands, just like the other morning.

“I’m not going anywhere, okay?” Nico cloud just nod and try not no drown in the ocean blue of the other man’s eyes.

They eventually let go of each other to lay down on Nico’s bed. They didn’t cuddle this time, but Nico was able to fall asleep counting the freckles on Will’s face, so he didn’t really complained.

.~*~.

They had breakfast for dinner after Nico woke up. And there were also kisses.

.~*~.

Nico also had a apology dinner for Cecil and Lou Ellen for stealing their roommate, but Nico was certain this was more about the breakfast food every morning than Will himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my [soulmate](http://the-great-escape-of-mory.tumblr.com/) who gave me the inspiration boost to finish this piece after two months of catching dust in my HD. ちえちゃんが大好きだ！
> 
> And thank you for reading this!


End file.
